"Zzzzt… crackle…"
The air was filled with ripping sounds, as if the very space around them was tearing apart.
A massive aura instantly burst forth from Luffy's body, merging with the Empress's Haki, unleashing an overwhelming power.
From a distance, Brook and the others stood dumbfounded, staring at the battlefield centered on the two of them, awestruck by the clash between two Conqueror's Haki wielders.
The air currents began to move rhythmically, spreading outward like ripples on water from the point between Luffy and the Empress.
Black lightning flickered and danced violently across the ground with eerie wails.
Rocks flew, the earth cracked, and dust swirled, shrouding them both.
Two terrifying forces battled fiercely in the air, on the ground, and in their piercing gazes, like two dragons spiraling in the sky, roaring continuously.
Mental Power?
To be honest, Luffy only had so much of it. He'd never really feared Hancock.
After all, his body carried the cumulative growth of his mind and system stats up to age seventeen, multiple blessings layered on.
Physical strength, stamina, agility, all had training methods. His body's numerical limits were clear; facing true powerhouses purely on physicality often meant being outmatched.
But Mental Power?
In the pirate world, there was no way to train or improve it artificially.
It was intangible, growing naturally with one's life and experience.
By contrast, Luffy could gain significant Mental Power boosts through his companions' support.
Mental Power was currently Luffy's proudest attribute.
"Zzzzzzzz…"
The vibrations in the air intensified, manifesting into cutting wind blades, transforming into black streaks that ripped and churned the earth, leaving destruction in their wake.
The Empress furrowed her brow, beads of fragrant sweat trickling down her forehead, sliding along her chin, slowly dripping onto her chest.
This was her first time facing an opponent wielding Conqueror's Haki, and to her surprise, Luffy had actually suppressed her in their clash.
Invisible waves of terrifying energy pressed relentlessly against Hancock.
Luffy lifted his head, a shadow draped over his closed mouth, leaving only sharp eyes to lock onto Hancock, cold as blades piercing her body at every point.
"Zzz… crack! Boom!"
Dust scattered through the air as a smoke screen suddenly enveloped them, cutting Luffy and Hancock off from the outside world.
They lost all sight of each other.
Faced with unprecedented spiritual pressure, the proud Empress recognized her predicament and silently admitted that her Haki was inferior to Luffy's.
But so what!
If charm couldn't ensnare him, and Haki couldn't overpower him, then it was just fists and feet left to fight.
"Hm?"
Luffy suddenly felt Hancock's resistance weaken. Before he could react,
Hancock, braving the oppressive Conqueror's pressure, surged forward. Her flowing hair cast a long shadow in the dust, and in an instant, she was right beside him.
"Perfume Femur!"
Before Luffy could even see her clearly, a long, pale, beautiful leg swept into his peripheral vision.
Bam! Boom!
The strike landed hard. Luffy, slower and weaker than Hancock, was violently sent flying, carving a deep trench into the ground.
Everything happened so fast, Luffy barely processed what had occurred.
Slowly, he climbed from the trench, dusting himself off.
"Cough, cough…"
He spat out dirt with a couple of light coughs.
The moment he was struck, his Conqueror's Haki lost control and completely dissipated into the air.
The thunderous battlefield suddenly calmed, like a pond after rain. Except for the lingering dust and scarred earth, all was still.
"Impressive… Pirate Empress," Luffy murmured as he brushed his sleeve and glanced at his health line.
[HP: 11,330 / 16,500]
A truly formidable woman, withstanding the mental strain of Conqueror's Haki and delivering a kick with 5,000 damage, cutting off a third of Luffy's HP.
That attack power was more than triple what Moria could produce normally.
No wonder she was a Warlord of the Sea with the Conqueror's Haki, nothing ordinary about her.
Luffy quietly swallowed five pre-prepared Small Life Pills from his pack, restoring his HP close to full.
He still had over 50,000 gold coins left, enough to handle the battles ahead.
Huff.
Meanwhile, the Empress dropped to one knee, breathing deeply.
Sweat dripped steadily from her smooth skin, soaking the elegant gown that clung tightly to her body.
She wasn't unscathed.
The moment she attacked, she had endured the full weight of Luffy's Conqueror's pressure.
At his current Mental Power level, crushing low-bounty foes was effortless.
Hancock, having taken all that pressure, suffered not only spiritual damage but a strange weakness, her legs faltered and her heart trembled.
"You really taught me a lesson…"
A deep, steady voice suddenly emerged from the smoke.
No one would have guessed it belonged to a young man.
Hancock's eyes widened in anger as she glared at the solid figure within the dust.
Her hands clawed into the earth, showing her disbelief.
That wasn't even her full-strength strike, but Luffy had emerged unscathed. It was hard to accept.
She had nearly killed the giant Onion Head with a similar blow.
"Is the gap… really this big?"
Usually defiant, the Empress inexplicably felt helpless.
Luffy planted his feet firmly in the soft earth and walked steadily toward her.
In a calm voice, he said, "It's the first time I've seen a way to break through Conqueror's Haki like this. Won't make the same mistake twice."
Seeing the tired woman kneeling, Luffy paused briefly, frowning, but said nothing.
The old Luffy once admired Hancock.
Of course, based on the original story's version.
Her reckless love for "Luffy" and constant daydreams about marrying him made Luffy fond of her.
But dreams were just dreams.
When he met the real Hancock, he realized…
He was no longer the same as before.
Raising his right arm, vast energy gathered into an orange flame, a bright beacon shining on Hancock's face.
A beauty under the light.
At some point, Luffy's eyes had changed to brilliant heterochromatic hues.
His expression was calm, void of emotion, as if the woman before him was just a plain stone.
The flames grew hotter and brighter, like a blazing sun radiating infinite heat.
The firelight focused on Hancock's anxious face.
Out of old feelings, Luffy couldn't help but say, "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you."
Bang! A heartbeat echoed sharply.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to."
Bang!
"Don't worry."
Bang!
Each word was like a sharp blade piercing Hancock's heart.
Each sounded like a shot of adrenaline, making her heart beat fiercely.
What's wrong?
What's happening to her?
Bang! Bang! Bang!
No, no, that's not her!
Something's off!
Hancock's previously scattered gaze suddenly hardened.
Her light blue eyes returned to their usual calm, fearless state.
Through the terrifying energy gathered in Luffy's hands, she met his gaze steadily.
Luffy, surprised by her sudden change, broke the calm between their heterochromatic eyes.
Unintentionally, Hancock discovered something even Luffy didn't know,
Luffy's Conqueror's Haki was evolving!
Though it was unclear whether this was due to his high Mental Power or some unique innate potential,
After fully absorbing Luffy's Conqueror's Haki, she had been mentally affected, creating an illusion that the man before her was invincible.
Wrapped in her form-fitting cheongsam, even more alluring than before, Hancock slowly stood, but said nothing about her earlier awkwardness.
Instead, she struck a proud pose and sneered disdainfully at Luffy:
"Foolish man! You've already missed your best chance to defeat me!"
=============
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250 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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